By Josh Davis & Brian Gilliland, Associate Editors

(Nov. 9, 2017) Former Berlin councilwoman and mayoral candidate Lisa Hall requested a jury trial when she appeared in District Court on Friday after the court rejected her request for postponement.

Judge Melvin Jews asked Hall if she had found representation in the case involving two counts of theft and four counts of passing bad checks to an Upper Marlboro, Maryland meat supplier, ostensibly to stock the now defunct Berlin Butcher Shop business Hall said had recently been dissolved.

Hall said she was waiting on the proceeds from the sale of her home, 302 Ann Drive in Berlin, Maryland, to secure representation, and the sale would proceed to settlement in two weeks’ time.

Jews asked the prosecutors if they had any objection to the delay, and while no formal protest was made, it was noted that two witnesses were present and the lawyers were ready to proceed.

Jews reminded Hall she had a right to a jury trial, and asked her if she wanted to avail herself of that option, and she agreed. The jury trial, which accompanies a move to Circuit Court, has not been scheduled.

According to the complaint signed on Sept. 9, C & C Meat Sales Inc. made two deliveries on April 27 and May 27 valued at $2,836.91 and $2,415.46 and were both paid for with bad checks, apparently signed by Hall.

“She has not made either one of the checks good,” Kimberly Duncan, of C & C Meat Sales, wrote in the complaint.

Hall is also being investigated by the Ocean City Police department for an August incident in which about $3,000 worth of meat was taken from resort grocery stores, Ocean City Communications Manager Jessica Waters confirmed.

“It does appear the investigation is on-going and additional charges may be forthcoming,” Waters wrote in an email.

An incident report provided by the Ocean City Police Department listed Hall as the suspect in a theft from the Acme grocery store at the 9500 block of Coastal Highway.

According to the summary, police were sent to the Acme at about 1:38 p.m. on Aug. 19 to investigate. Employees at the Acme said a woman placed a meat order and did not pay for it. The person apparently placed a large order the day before, and didn’t pay for it.

Police said they discovered the suspect placed another large order at another store and failed to pay. The total value of all the orders was estimated to be $3,000.

Hall opened the Berlin Butcher Shop in 2016.